Non missile penetrating spinal injury.

Abstract

Non-missile penetrating spinal injury (NMPSI) is a rare form of traumatic spinal injury. Cases with neurological deficit on presentation are treated surgically. In the extremely rare circumstance of NMPSI presenting with no neurological deficit the management is contentious. We report a case of a 43-year-old male presenting with a penetrating stab injury through the thoracolumbar spinal canal. On presentation he had no neurological deficits and subsequently the knife was removed in theatre without deep surgical exploration. In this report we review the literature of non-missile penetrating spinal injuries as well as their management and conclude that exploratory surgery for NMPSI without neurological deficit may not be necessary as previously thought.